About
PURPLE YAM first began as a zine project with four individuals: Veronica Blanco, Claudine Reyes, Leilani Rants, and Richard Gabrintina.​
Purple Yam got its name from the westernized term for ube---a tuberous vegetable used in many dishes in Filipinx cuisine. Purple Yam has no agenda other than establishing an open, honest and ongoing conversation about the unique Filipinx-American experience, in addition to examining the past, present, and future state of the culture.
MEET THE TEAM
VERONICA BLANCO
EDITOR
Veronica “Rica” Blanco (B.F.A. Sculpture + Extended Media, B.S. Psychology) is a second-generation Filipino-American 3D artist and digital fabricator based in Richmond, VA. Her body of work involves the creation of transparent containers as a means to deconstruct and preserve the memories of her culture and relationships.
Although she was surrounded by a vast Filipino-American community in Virginia Beach, VA, she was more curious about other Asian-American cultures rather than her own and tried to experience them as much as she could. This exploration allowed her to acknowledge the privilege of being connected to her own community and appreciate them more, realize the lack of Filipino-American and Southeast Asian stories throughout education and the media, and motivated her to seek out more knowledge regarding the struggles and achievements of her cultural heritage. Through Purple Yam, Blanco hopes to create an accessible, tangible archive that captures the untold narratives and evolving history of Filipino-Americans for various generations of people.
Currently, Blanco works as a dental lab technician in the CAD/CAM department, where she adjusts crowns and dental models for doctors and clients. Her future aspirations include creating more artwork and becoming a master at 3D printing, contribute to conversations surrounding the cosplay and anime community, and finally take care of a hedgehog that she has always wanted. In her spare time, she likes to make spreadsheets, learn how to bake Filipino desserts, play DDR, create cosplays, and catch up on all the sleep she lacked in art school.
RICHARD GABRINTINA
WRITER
Richard Gabrintina (B.A. English with a concentration in Creative Writing) is a 2nd generation Filipino-American writer based in Springfield, VA. Born in Norfolk, VA to immigrant parents, the concept of identity has always intrigued Gabrintina. Being raised in Virginia Beach, home to one of the largest Filipino populations in the United States, served a prominent role in providing opportunities for cultural exploration and collaboration. He is an alumni of the Filipino American Cultural Society (FACS) of Salem High School and the Filipino American Student Association (FASA) of Old Dominion University. To Gabrintina, Purple Yam serves as a platform for engaging deeper discussions on the complex intersection between Filipinx and American identity, as well as its histories, through literature, music and art to promote a sense of cohesion and empowerment within the overall community.
His work has been featured on Mace & Crown, Thought Catalog and on the broadcast premiere of Writer’s Block, a program produced by WHRO which highlights local poets, spoken word artists, storytellers and authors in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. Gabrintina is currently a member of the Filipino Young Professionals of Washington D.C. and the National Association of Asian American Professionals D.C. Outside of his professional life and outside of Purple Yam, he enjoys playing guitar, traveling, exercising, reading and creative writing.
CLAUDINE REYES
EDITOR
Claudine Reyes (B.F.A. Kinetic Imaging: Video, Sound, and Animation, B.A. Mathematics) is a 1.5 generation Filipino-American video artist, designer, and curator. Her mother immigrated to the United States when she was 18 years old, and her father immigrated when he was 4 years old, as his father was part of the Navy. She grew up within a strong Filipino-American community. However, while there was a constant reassuring environment for cultural exploration, the understanding that other Filipino-Americans may not have had similar resources was concerning. For Reyes, Purple Yam is an outlet to explore the specific histories and progression of the Filipino-American experience and culture.
Reyes lives and works in Richmond, VA, with her dog, Lopey! Reyes’ artist work is focused on the personal insight of visual blurs and its representation of time. She is a part of a curatorial artist group called Sad.gif and has curated shows in Richmond, VA, Chelsea Manhattan, and Brooklyn, NY. She is also a member of the band called Lyscuro, who’s current work is focused on distance and death conceptualized into sound.
LEILANI RANTS
DESIGNER
Leilani Rants is a second-generation Filipino-American student in her fourth year the graphic design program at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. She is a graphic designer and two-dimensional artist with works previously exhibited at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Branch Museum of Architecture and Design.
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Most of her art and literature pertains to nuances of biracial, cross-cultural identity-- having a Filipino immigrant side of the family and an almost absent American side of the family-- a living example of the assimilation between cultures. Her writing has been published in anthologies online, in print, and in Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
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Aside from writing, arts, and design, she also is pursuing careers in ballroom dancing and making music; performing at various local venues weekly. Her goal is to succeed in all art forms, as opposed to a single option, and to eventually bring that success back to the community.